question. >> we decided to -- >> reporter: a star anchor on cnn and budding talk show host, anderson cooper is used to covering the big stories. >> there's certainly a lot discussed with the reaction -- >> reporter: now he's making news, addressing the issue of his sexuality for the very first time. in an e-mail to "the daily beast" published monday cooper states, the fact is, i'm gay, always have been, always will be, and i couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud. >> he's probably at a place in his personal and professional life where he feels he can be completely honest and the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. >> reporter: dubbed the silver fox, cooper rose to prominence as a fearless, sometimes opinionated reporter, comforting officials in the aftermath of katrina and even getting attacked during the egyptian revolution last year. the son of famed heiress and socialite gloria vanderbilt, cooper has been open about his life discussing painful details on his talk show like when his brother committed suicide in 1988, jumping from a balcony in front of his moth